1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for controlling a valve unit in a ventilator system and to a ventilator system for implementing the method.
As used herein, "ventilator system" refers to all types of systems capable of delivering a gas to a patient for the purpose of supporting or controlling the patient's breathing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
European Application 570 015 describes a system capable of recording a patient's spontaneous breathing pattern and copying the recorded spontaneous breathing pattern into a ventilator system in order to mechanically reproduce this breathing pattern for ventilating the patient.
Thus, this known system is restricted to spontaneously breathing patients whose pulmonary function is relatively intact. The advantage of recreating the patient's spontaneous breathing pattern is to minimize the patient's discomfort when a breathing gas must be imposed on the patient, e.g, in anesthesia.
In many instances, however, the patient is not breathing spontaneously or the patient's condition is such that the patient requires breathing support to get enough breathing gas. The options usually available are mechanical ventilation (imposed or supportive) by a ventilator system or a breathing pattern manually imposed by a doctor with a hand ventilator. With a hand ventilator, the doctor is able to feel the lung's response and regulate the patient's breathing. Manual ventilation of this kind, however, requires the constant presence of a doctor.